“I barely have time.”
“I often distract and struggle to concentrate.”
“I like to procrastinate and postpone important tasks.”
“I try to be busy instead of being effective.”
“I can’t effectively schedule and prioritize.”
And so on.
Oh, those time management problems.
We’ve all been there to some extent, but luckily, there’s an easy way to be effective and have a productive day every day.
So here is my favorite productivity hack to save time, overcome many time management challenges, and even beat procrastination.
Yes, that very procrastination- the main culprit for many not-so-good things- and the ultimate time-eater.
This trick isn’t a magic wand, but it can help you get motivated, do things, creatively approach your schedule, be happier, and save time.
Maybe it’s the only productivity hack you need (seriously).
The Best Productivity Hack to Save Time and More
The idea is to be more flexible about your duties/projects and fearlessly rearrange them if necessary.
Call it effective prioritization or adaptability, or anything you like.
The goal is to catch yourself when you’re about to ‘detour’ to procrastination, meaningless stuff, and such.
But instead of following that path and ‘immersing in the world of shallow,’ you do anything useful, whatever suits your current physical and mental condition best and keeps you going.
It can be anything big or small, from reading an inspiring book to starting an ambitious project.
Anything, just to start.
Then you can do even more useful things and eventually be very happy with yourself 😉
Of course, it works best if you are not on a strict deadline. But even with deadlines, you can still manage.
You keep in mind your to-do list/projects and creatively juggle the responsibilities. It’s a lot of fun if you try!
For example, you decided to create a presentation on Monday, do laundry on Tuesday, and read your favorite book all Wednesday evening (finally 😊).
On Monday evening, for whatever reason, you don’t feel like doing a presentation. You are not getting lazy. Maybe you caught the flu or had a frustrating fight with your best friend and need time to get over it.
Here’s a great idea.
You can read the book on Monday then and move the presentation to the now-vacant Wednesday. Or you can craft your presentation on Tuesday and do the laundry on Wednesday.
Easy-peasy 😄
The example above is simplistic, just to give the idea, but this trick can go a long way.
It doesn’t have to be Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, or small things like laundry, a book, or a presentation. You can effectively juggle anything, including your big and distant future projects.
For example, you can postpone a creative project if you feel “oh my God” about it. If you are forcing yourself, you won’t perform at the top of your ability anyway. But you can start home renovation instead, another much-needed project, which might make you more interested or even excited! 😄
My productivity hack helps you avoid the procrastination void and other time management issues that can spiral out of control into hours on social media, the many not-so-productive things, and (maybe 😉) a sense of guilt.
And you don’t have to force yourself to do those things you loathe and then feel unhappy and victimized.
Here is a great perk:
Once you go ahead and do something useful, it’s much easier to return to the first, not-so-desirable assignment and ace it, feeling great about yourself.
Starting is the hardest part.
Even physics (I hope you liked it at school:)) says that starting motion is the most difficult part because you must overcome “the inertia of rest,” but motion itself doesn’t require much effort.
In a nutshell, you can rearrange things, again and again, the way you want.
If you cannot do something today because you don’t feel like it or have no physical and mental ability, you can always do something else (also useful).
Eventually, you will save time and boost your productivity. Oh, did I mention you will feel much happier?
This productivity hack might seem way too simple and a no-brainer to some.
But sometimes, small things make a big difference. And I know many overly ‘responsible’ people who always painfully stick to their plans even when they don’t make sense.
“If I don’t do everything I planned today, I’m not effective and goal-oriented enough. It doesn’t matter that I’m too drained.”
“I am an achiever; I will do everything in the order I planned.”
You don’t have to be overwhelmed.
You can feel motivated, happy, inspired, and energetic despite duties, challenges, and anything that requires attention.
You can have a productive day and still live your best life.
And a sweet bonus: you will avoid so much stress and negativity 😊
Why Does This Productivity Hack Work?
Many time management problems stem from discord between a person’s life (responsibilities, schedule, aspirations, etc.) and their current mood and ability.
You distract from a boring chore for a breath of fresh air.
Or stuff yourself with all kinds of duties beyond your grasp and unnecessarily exhaust yourself.
Or procrastinate because you don’t feel like doing something.
By the way, scientists believe procrastination is about managing emotions, not time. It means fixing your mood and finding inspiration will help.
Flexible thinking (prioritization, or adaptability, if you will) is a simple and effective answer to this problem.
It helps you see things and situations in a new, different way.
Instead of forcing yourself to do things, you listen to yourself a little bit more and adjust your life accordingly and, well, creatively.
It removes the mood barrier and marries responsibility with a happy choice.
What could be better?
You can feel in control and improve your lifestyle without sacrificing plans, just changing their order.
That easy.
And what is your favorite productivity hack? ❤️
By the way, Art. has inspirational drawings and paintings to boost your mood and make you smile. If you have cuteness cravings, here is a Cute Cat drawing sending good vibes your way.
The 80 funny and inspiring procrastination quotes will make you smile and get you on the right track, and these good vibes quotes will give you instant inspiration for a (much) better day 😉
And finally,